This sunspot group (AR 9690) grew and receded over the course of a
week At its largest, it spread across the width of about 15 Earths
and held the potential for releasing large flares. Then, it began to
decay by the third image on Nov. 12 and was significantly smaller by
the 14th. Sunspots are the visible tracers of magnetically active
regions. They are somewhat cooler than the rest of the Sun's surface
so they appear darker.